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Wildcard Indexes in Collection View

Wildcard indexes can be useful when documents in a collection have variable fields and query patterns are not known in advance. When query patterns are known, a targeted Standard index is usually easier to evaluate and maintain.

For detailed information about Wildcard index behavior and supported options, see the Azure DocumentDB documentation.

Create a Wildcard index

  1. Open the collection’s Indexes tab.
  2. Select Create Index.
  3. Select Wildcard.
  4. Choose the scope:
    • All fields creates an index using the $** key.
    • Parent path creates an index using a scoped key such as metadata.$**.
    • Projection lets you include or exclude selected paths from an all-fields Wildcard index.
  5. Review the generated definition in Preview as JSON.
  6. Select Create Index, or prepare the command in Playground or Shell first.

Choose a scope

Use All fields when the index should cover fields throughout the document. Use Parent path when only one nested area of the document needs flexible indexing.

Use Projection to limit an all-fields Wildcard index to selected paths, or to exclude selected paths. An empty projection does not restrict the index.

Review before creating

Wildcard indexes have different restrictions from Standard indexes. The form validates incompatible selections and shows the available choices for the selected scope.

Use Preview as JSON to verify the generated definition. Use Playground or Shell when you want to modify the generated command before running it.

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